Anton Balitsky
- Early Life and Education
- Military and Revolutionary Involvement
- Career in Education
- Nationalism and Suppression
- Execution and Rehabilitation
- Legacy
- Family
Early Life and Education
Alaksandr Balitskiwas born into a peasant family. He graduated from the Svislach Teachers' Seminary in 1910 and the Vitebsk Teachers' Institute in 1916.
Military and Revolutionary Involvement
During World War I, Balitski served in the Russian army on the Romanian front. After demobilization, he worked in the Main Social Security Society under the Odessa Ministry of Education. In 1920, he joined the Russian Communist Party (Bolsheviks) and moved to Minsk in 1921.
Career in Education
Balitski served as Deputy Minister of Education from 1922 and Minister of Education of the Belarusian SSR from 1926. He led the Belarusian Language and Literature Section of the Institute of Belarusian Culture and was elected a member of the Presidium of the Belarusian Academy of Sciences in 1929.
Nationalism and Suppression
In 1929, Balitski faced criticism for his nationalist views. He was transferred to the Lantsutski Factory in Gomel and later dismissed. In 1930, he was arrested and sentenced to 10 years in prison for his alleged involvement in a counterrevolutionary organization.
Execution and Rehabilitation
In 1937, Balitski was rearrested and executed by firing squad. He was rehabilitated by the Supreme Court of the Belarusian SSR in 1988 and by the Military Collegium of the Supreme Court of the USSR in 1958.
Legacy
Balitski's legacy is marked by his contributions to Belarusian education and his advocacy for national identity. A street in Grodno bears his name.
Family
Balitski's wife, T. P. Balitskaya, was a physician. They had two children.
